MLB Betting News, Tips and Picks

10/25 -Tampa Bay Rays at Philadelphia Phillies World Series Game 3 - The World Series moves to Philadelphia for the next three games after the Rays and Phillies split the first two games in Tampa Bay.  The Phillies may feel good getting a split in Tampa but it could be the Rays that have the edge in the next two games with Matt Garza facing Jamie Moyer on Saturday and Andy Sonnanstine against Joe Blanton on Sunday.

10/23 - Philadelphia Phillies at Tampa Bay Rays World Series Game 2 - Game 2 of the World Series takes place on Thursday night in Tampa Bay as the Rays host the Philadelphia Phillies.  It is a key game as either the series will be tied or it will be 2-0.  The pitching matchup has Brett Myers going for the Phillies against Tampa’s James Shields.

10/22 - Philadelphia Phillies at Tampa Bay Rays - World Series Game 1 - If the betting odds are any indication we could be in for a very good World Series. The Game One odds on Wednesday are a pick while the overall World Series odds are not much different. Tampa is a very slight favorite, mainly because they have the home field advantage. The series has a 2-3-2 format with the first two and the last two games at Tampa Bay.

10/14 - Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox Game 4 ALCS Pick - The Boston Red Sox suddenly face what is almost a must-win game on Tuesday night as they host the Tampa Bay Rays. Boston is down 2-1 in the series and now must count on veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to get them even in the series. Tampa will counter with Andy Sonnanstine.

10/11 -Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays ALCS Game 2 Pick - The outcome of the American League Championship Series could be decided by the pitching of Josh Beckett.  If he pitches like he did last year then the Red Sox may end up in the World Series again.  If he pitches like he has down the stretch then anything is possible.  Beckett gave up nine hits and four runs in his start against the Angels in the ALDS.  In the postseason Beckett has been great in the past.  He is 6-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 11 outings in the playoffs.  Beckett pitched well against Tampa this season, going 2-1 with a 2.06 ERA against them.  He is 1-2 at Tropicana Field this season with an ERA of 1.93.

2008 MLB Championship Series - When speaking to plenty of sports fans in general they will all tell you that October is the best month of the year when it comes to watching sports. The football season is underway, and baseball is in the post season and that does not even begin the fact that the puck has just dropped on the NHL season and the NBA tipped off for its preseason schedule.

10/10 - ALCS Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays Game 1 - Two teams that know each other very well meet in the American League Championship Series. Boston and Tampa Bay met 18 times this season and the Rays won 10 while the Red Sox won 8. Game 1 of the ALCS is on Friday and matches Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka against Tampa Bay’s James Shields.

10/9 - NLCS - Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies - Game 1 - The National League Championship Series gets underway on Thursday as the Philadelphia Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies will send their ace, Cole Hamels to the mound while the Dodgers will counter with Derek Lowe.

10/4 - NLDS - Philadelphia Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers - Game 3 -The Milwaukee Brewers head home facing elimination on Saturday as they host the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of their best of five series. The Brewers have been totally shutdown by the Phillies in the first two games and even their best pitcher, C.C. Sabathia was beaten. The Brewers will now have to hope their offense gets going because it is unlikely Dave Bush is going to shutout the Phillies.

NLDS - Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 3 - The Chicago Cubs face elimination on Saturday in Game 3 as they travel to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers. Chicago has played very poorly in the first two games of this series and now everyone’s favorite in the National League could be gone in three straight. The Cubs will look to Rich Harden to save their season. He will be opposed by Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers.

10/3 - ALDS - Boston Red Sox at Anaheim Angels - Game 2 The Anaheim Angels may have had the best record in the Major Leagues this season but if they don’t win Game 2 on Friday night they could be headed for an early exit in this year’s playoffs. The Angels lost the opener of this best of five series 4-1 on Wednesday and now must beat Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox on Friday or face the unpleasant prospect of having to win three straight against the World Champs.

ALDS Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays - Game 2 - The Tampa Bay Rays will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their best of five series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday. The Rays won 6-4 on Thursday thanks to two home runs by Evan Longoria. Tampa will send Scott Kazmir to the mound on Friday. He will be opposed by Chicago’s Mark Buehrle.

10/2 - ALDS – Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays (Game 1) - The Tampa Bay Rays face the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of their American League Division Series on Thursday afternoon. The Sox come into the game having won three must-win games in a row just to make the playoffs while Tampa has been resting at home. Now Chicago must piece together a pitching rotation while Tampa is set, starting with their best pitcher, James Shields on Thursday.

9/25 - Updated MLB 2008 World Series Odds from 5 Dimes:

Chicago Cubs +380
Los Angeles Angels +425
Boston Red Sox +460
Tampa Bay Rays +625
Philadelphia Phillies +825
Los Angeles Dodgers +950
Chicago White Sox +1300
New York Mets +1400
Milwaukee Brewers +1800
Minnesota Twins +1900
Arizona Diamondbacks +12500

8/27 - Umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting Thursday after Major League Baseball, guardian of America’s most traditional sport, reversed its decades-long opposition to instant replay.

8/19 - Curt Schilling says he’s leaning “very heavily” toward retirement and is waiting until spring training approaches to see if he wants to try to pitch again.

Rangers All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a sports hernia, and could be headed for season-ending surgery.

Greg Maddux is headed back to the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego and Los Angeles agreed to a trade that puts the 353-game winner in a pennant race again.

8/11 - Tampa Bay gets franchise record 71st win - Tampa Bay bettered its previous best record of 70-92 in 2004. The Rays improved to 71-46 by taking three of four in Seattle and own a 4 1/2 -game lead over Boston in the AL East, their largest advantage since July 6.

8/5 - NY Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain will be examined by an orthopedic surgeon s on Wednesday after undergoing an MRI on his ailing right shoulder.

7/30 - On Tuesday, the Angels made the kind of deadline blockbuster they're often accused of never making when they traded first baseman Casey Kotchman and pitching prospect Stephen Marek to Atlanta for the right to run first baseman Mark Teixeira out there as their first baseman for the next two months.

7/29 - Tim Hudson thought the Atlanta Braves’ medical staff was joking about ligament damage in his pitching elbow. The right-handed Hudson went on the season ending disabled list Monday after an MRI found the damage. The Braves also placed slugger Chipper Jones on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, yet another blow for a team that just a few days ago had still hoped to contend in the NL East.

If the New York Yankees are going to earn a 14th consecutive playoff berth, they’ll have to do it without Jorge Posada. The five-time All-Star catcher will have season-ending surgery on his right shoulder, ending his attempt to return to the lineup for New York’s postseason push.

7/21 - Ray Durham wore a Giants uniform for the last time, then packed up his locker and went to join the Milwaukee Brewers on the other side of the ballpark before leaving town with his new team. San Francisco traded the veteran second baseman to the Brewers for two minor leaguers, with both clubs waiting until after the teams played Sunday to announce the swap. That, in fact, was per Durham’s request as he didn’t want to suit up for his first game for Milwaukee against the Giants.